Undiagnosed Glaucoma and Glaucoma Awareness at a Rural Community in Southeast Nigeria

A bstract Background: Undiagnosed glaucoma is a risk for visual impairment in resource-poor communities with poor access to eye care services. Lack of glaucoma awareness and knowledge further heightens the risk for glaucoma-related blindness. Rural community eye screening programs, therefore, provide opportunities for early glaucoma detection and improved eye health awareness. Objective: To determine the proportion of persons with undiagnosed glaucoma and the level of glaucoma awareness among participants attending a 1-day rural community eye screening program in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a rural community in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Clinical data and information on demographics and awareness of glaucoma were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The proportion of persons with a first-time glaucoma diagnosis was determined. Frequencies and means were calculated. Associations between socio-demographic factors and glaucoma awareness were determined using the Chi-square test, and a P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: One hundred and seventy participants were assessed for glaucoma. The mean age of participants was 51.8 ± 14.7 years. The proportion of persons with undiagnosed glaucoma was 14.7% and 52% of these were already blind in one eye. Glaucoma awareness was 47.6%. Age ( P = 0.02), occupation ( P ≤ 0.001), marital status ( P ≤ 0.001), and level of education ( P < 0.001) were significantly associated with glaucoma awareness. Conclusion: Undiagnosed glaucoma and associated blindness were frequent among the screened population. The level of glaucoma awareness was low. There is a need to raise glaucoma awareness in rural communities to prevent glaucoma-related blindness.